December 30, 2009

Players happy about Fox news

Panthers players were happy about an Observer report earlier this week that coach John Fox won't be fired.

"I think he's a good coach," said center Ryan Kalil. "Having changes would be a setback for us. The last few games, we've playing well. Fans will think what they want to think on the outside."

Kalil said he has heard some Panthers fans talking about replacing Fox with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

"He's an awesome coach," Kalil said. "But what is he going to want to do that's different from Fox? He'll want to play good defense and run the football. What exactly are we talking about here?"

Said defensive tackle Damione Lewis: "When a new coach comes in, a whole bunch of everything changes. (Fox) has done a great job. Knowing what we've played through, he's kept guys up all season. That's great coaching."

Neither Lewis nor Kalil said they thought the Panthers not extending Fox's contract past next season would have an effect on the team.

"I don't think guys think about that stuff," said Kalil. "I have my own opinion about things, but contract stuff, I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out how mine works."

"We have no control over what goes on top of us," said Lewis. "Maybe they (extend his contract) midseason next year, who knows? There are a lot of things going on, especially in a lockout year. I know one thing, he won't have trouble finding a job. He's one of the reasons I came here." -- David Scott

Posted by Observer Sports on December 30, 2009 at 04:19 PM | Permalink

Comments

yeah the players love fox cause they can lose 8 srraight games and fox will still pat them on the back.i hate players coaches.you get a bunch of 7-9 years with players coaches.nobody is afraid to lose their job or get benched.

Posted by: ray | Dec 30, 2009 4:29:33 PM

"Players" or Kalil and Lewis? What is any player gonna say?????????????????

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 4:45:10 PM

JOB SECURITY answers!...Lewis especially If, Carolina brings in a new coach with a 3-4 scheme he's gone being a 4-3 DT and gettin up in age as well! Kalil was drafted and SIGNED by this regime WHAT do you EXPECT!

Posted by: hellfish | Dec 30, 2009 5:00:23 PM

An off year under Fox is 7-9 or 8-8. A good year is 11-5 or 12-4. They'll be in the playoffs next year, barring any significant injury. Keep Fox, but work on the 3rd and long plays. Draws are too predictable now. Also mix up the first play of the game. Eliminate the run over left guard for a 2 yard loss.

Posted by: Mike | Dec 30, 2009 5:06:44 PM

You people are a bunch of whining idiots. Fox is one of the best coaches in the league. We are lucky to have him, especially since the way the pathetic fans in Charlotte act, we don't even really deserve a team. Charlotte somehow manages to combine the eternally unreasonable expectations of Philidelphia fans with the arragance of New England fans and the class of Oakland fans.

For the sake of the team, I hope he signs a five year extension the day after the New Orleans game.

Posted by: morganja | Dec 30, 2009 5:37:17 PM

Amen morganja!

Posted by: uscphil | Dec 30, 2009 5:43:12 PM

Yes thank you morganja I was beginning to think I was alone in admiring the job John Fox has done. Hellfish all I can say is that I didn't think they gave nuthouse patients access to the internet and they should stop it. When players like and respect a coach they play harder for him. Coach Fox's teams have always been competitive even during the Testaverde year.

Keep Fox, start MOORE, sign Moore,dwill,jstew to long term deals, and hopefully jpep stays, were good. GO PANTHERS. Get well soon #89!!!

Posted by: Bobby | Dec 30, 2009 6:15:53 PM

I agree, keep Fox. The only thing wrong that I see that he did this season was stick with Jake too long. But sometimes loyalty isn't a bad thing. With an entire side (11 players) on IR I think we're doing great. As you can see there is a different team out there since Matt Moore started playing. Its not because Matt Moore is outstanding (even though he has a great QB rating) its that it's not Jake. I think the players lost confidence in Jake. Look how well the defense is playing now too. Even Pep is finally earning his million dollars a game. Just too bad Fox didn't start Matt a few games earlier and we could had a run at the playoffs. Keep Fox!

Posted by: Michael | Dec 30, 2009 6:22:43 PM

All of you Pro Fox fans you come on here slam all the Con FOX Fans. And you say "your all stupid, idiots, fox is a good coach etc."

Tell us why we have not had back to back winning seasons?(injuries are not an excuse except for 04), why did we not win the NFC Championship game 06, Why are our stars unhappy(including Jenkins that left)? Why did we go for 2pt coverstions in the SB?,why do we do a draw on every 3rd and medium to long?, Do you want more... Instead of telling us unbased "facts", give us something... The fact the national media says and local, that he is a good coach, and I've never heard anyone speak bad of a coach is an observation from a far. They are not here week in week out seeing what we see(national).

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 6:23:59 PM

Any other Con Fox fan, got a question you wanna ask the Pro Fans?

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 6:28:23 PM

I think Matt will keep up the good work, he has the skill's and the team seem's to be behind him. I saw peppers run up to Matt after one of his 3 TD's and gave him a high five. But that is just one example of many ways Matt has helped. Not to mention his ability to make ALL the throw's and scramble away from defender's. Tommy john surgery has caught up with Jake.

Posted by: Bobby | Dec 30, 2009 6:36:10 PM

Do you even understand the game?

Posted by: Jeff | Dec 30, 2009 6:38:06 PM

Even if they got the xtra points in the superbowl, they still would have lost by a point.

Posted by: Bobby | Dec 30, 2009 6:39:46 PM

Yeah unfortuntley this why I'm irritated.

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 6:46:24 PM

'fox has to go'...no you don't. You think you do but you really don't. NFL football can swing any which way every year. A year goes by and that puts more information out of each team with scouting. Each team prepares each week for every team they play. Watch, study tape from previous games and seasons. Teams can be garbage and win games. Players get hurt. Refs can make bad calls on crucial plays. Each seasons different. You ask why can't we have back to back winning seasons. Can you tell us why we have the winning seasons? Luck? Football teams only become dominate when you possess a grade A hall a fame player(s) in his prime. You become the coach, do the plays and sign the players you think should be there. What you going to do when you have losing seasons? You going to take us to the superbowl and be the first coach with a .9999 w-l record? You don't understand the game. You just want the results you want to see and thats human nature. But to say he's a bad coach because of that just is.....................

Posted by: Justin | Dec 30, 2009 8:18:22 PM

If we had those two we didn't get,earlier, then we would have been up by 2 and could have went for 2pt converstion to make it 3 at the end of the game, Right?! Been a while since I've watched it on DVD.

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 8:18:51 PM

FIRST WHAT??

Second it is simple. When you have the talent that we have(that all our eyes can see compared to others) had that is as much talent as any other Elite team out there.(name one and see if we are as good or better) Then ask yourself if those are excuses you just made.
You sounded like fox, "we are not the only team that practices."

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 8:27:28 PM

He is not a bad coach... A bad head coach.

Posted by: fox has to go!! | Dec 30, 2009 8:50:38 PM

If the panthers will send Jake packing I don't care who the coach is. This will be a great team if we can just get rid of Jake Delhomme. Who is behind him playing after all of these sorry games he has played in? Is it Fox or is it really Richardson? Frank Gracia from WFAN seems to thing that Jerry Richardson is behind the Jake project. If that is so then John Fox I am sorry for thinking all the bad things about you. Jake must go I don't care who he is dating or how many bojangles commercials he is involved in. Jerry we don't want to see Jake anymore.

Posted by: kevin | Dec 30, 2009 9:05:59 PM

One of the biggest faults of any coach is the inability to change. I have first hand knowledge of how stubborn coaches can be.

Hopefully this season will teach Fox that change doesn't necessarily mean disaster. Surely he knows 1 or 2 games will not make or break a season.

Posted by: shp | Dec 30, 2009 9:17:28 PM

Fox needs to stay...who are you going to get that's better?

Jake can stay as a backup but personally, I'd have taken Garcia over Feeley. My qb line up would be Moore, Cantwell, and then Feeley. Both Moore and Cantwell are mobile qbs. We need that threat, if we can't get it down the field then we need a qb who can run for 10 like Cantwell. You have to train the rookies and the only way to do that is to put them in the driver's seat. Had Fox done that on game 4, we might be in the playoffs but that wasn't guaranteed. What I saw all year was that Fox never showed confidence in Moore and found reasons not to play him. Maybe J Richardson had something to do with that, maybe he didn't? All I know is I like what we have on the field right now and they have shown us all that they are competitive and can beat any team in the NFL. JMHO

Posted by: Tony | Dec 30, 2009 9:20:16 PM

If Jerry can't stand the thought of life without Jake then let him hire him to drive him back and forth to Lake James. Jake is no longer needed on the football field. If Jake is so good then I am sure teams will begin to call and ask for a trade to get him.

Posted by: kevin | Dec 30, 2009 10:03:57 PM

Fox is a 3 winning seasons in 8yrs coach. He had 1 good run in the playoffs, was annihilated the other 2 times the team made the playoffs. Never brought competition in for the qb position, stuck with the old qb way too long, managed the clock poorly, has a predictable offensive playbook, and plays conservative in general. Spin it how you like, all I mentioned are facts.

Posted by: Rudeboyardee | Dec 30, 2009 11:56:53 PM

Well some will be sad and some will be happy when the news comes out. Fox's agent is taking a deal and he is walking just watch. Don't blame him neither he should go because to many fans cry to much, when you have a banged up team it is hard to win period. (oh yeah and Jake just giving it away) I will laugh my butt off once Clevelands coach gets fired and he becomes the Panthers coach, reading the message boards then would be funny stuff almost as much as the articles "Scott Says"-